If You Have to Wear Nude Tights, Make Them Meghan Markle's Nude Tights

There are few things that terrify me quite as much as the thought of wearing nude tights. I've avoided them for as long as I can remember because they ladder, never match skin tones, and make your pins look plastic and shiny. Tan tights should be kept for dancers and Kate Middleton, right? Not strictly so—at least not anymore. Hosiery label Heist has recognised the demand that many girls have for nude tights (and yes, that includes catering for all skin tones). There's no denying that a host of offices have strict regulatory codes about these things, but they're also the kind of item that can uplift a formal outfit when required. Maybe your legs aren't in tip-top condition? A pair of the best nude tights would be a handy thing to have in your armoury.

Heist is a London-based label that set out to basically reinvent tights: It worked with 67 women over 12 months and created 196 samples to develop three signature innovations that allowed for a radically better pair of tights, updating everything from the yarns used to the structure of the waistline. Yes, that super-tight and restrictive waistband is a thing of the past. We trialled the brand's Invisible Tights to put them to the test, and miraculously, this nude hosiery–phobe may well be a convert.

They're comfortable (I went for the high-waist option because I like keeping it all in!), effortless and actually don't make me look like I've got acetate legs. The best part? The brand is all about celebrating women, enlisting super-cool artists and photographers to find new and exciting ways to depict the female form.

Heist recently introduced five more shades to its nude repertoire following its analysis of crowdsourced results as part of a quest to fulfil the needs of all women: The Nude Project has generated a more natural and realistic palette and bulked the offering out to seven shades instead of two. "We know from our customers that women shy away from wearing nude garments for the most part because, with only a limited range of shades on offer, they are unable to find a suitable match. We saw the furore around Meghan Markle's tights at her first royal engagement as Duchess of Sussex, with the press lambasting the shade of nude. Our extended range seeks to solve this problem," says a Heist spokesperson.

The range is so good that Meghan has, in fact, turned to the brand in her regal times of need. Sometimes there is no getting around the protocol of a royal requiring the use of tights for modesty, and these have looked far more natural and unnoticeable on her legs than anything else. And many consumers agree, with Heist's hosiery (which includes classic black tights in different deniers plus some socks) are giving incredibly positive reviews, with comments such as "Honestly, these are the best things I have ever owned, I am emotional," and "I never wore dresses or skirts and now wear almost exclusively dresses and skirts since discovering your amazing tights!" being commonplace.